Ideas of India Ramachandra Guha on the Origins of Indian Environmentalism
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Jun 5, 2025 Ramachandra Guha, an esteemed environmental scholar and biographer, dives into the roots of Indian environmentalism. He discusses the contrast between grassroots movements like the Chipko and centralized governmental practices. Guha also contrasts the visions of Patrick Geddes and JC Kumarappa on sustainable development. He emphasizes the importance of integrating local knowledge into ecological strategies and critiques the tension between technology and environmentalism. The conversation further highlights the often-overlooked contributions of women in this critical discourse.
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Bottom-Up Environmentalism in India
- Indian environmentalism has a bottom-up, community-centric history distinct from global environmental narratives.
- Local knowledge and social relations are crucial for ecological stewardship and often erased by imported 'best practices'.
India’s Local Environmental Crisis
- India’s environmental crisis includes local commons issues independent of climate change effects.
- These local problems stem from mismanagement and corruption, aggravating livelihoods of millions.
Centralization vs Local Governance
- Centralization of resource decisions has persisted from colonial to modern India, causing dispossession.
- True environmental management requires local stakeholders' involvement through decentralization.
